THE INTERSECTION: Red and black

Tagging is often a precursor to war. One group announces its arrival with the ghetto—styled hieroglyphics of its set, then the home team then X—es out the offending scrawl, demarcating this wall, this neighborhood as its territory. Sooner or later thugs from both camps will cross paths—then the real war is on.

On a wall behind the Elks Lodge on Owens Avenue, just east of H Street in West Las Vegas, two streams of graffiti, one red and one black, tell a familiar story. Tatted on the wall in black are these words: "South Central Southside 12 W/S Culver City Gang." According to Los Angeles Police Department data, the Hispanic Culver City gang is one of LA's worst.

The red lettering on the wall is more extensive: "BIP BS BS CHIP A PIRU 604 Didn't Raise No Hoe'z C 187." (X's are drawn through each 'O' and 'C.') Finishing off the thuggish mural is a finger shaped like a B and an arrow going up.

The Berkeley Square neighborhood down the street is a local Blood neighborhood and "C 187" is a known code for Crip—killer.

Russell Davis, chairman of the Southern Nevada Graffiti Coalition, says Cal—Nev graffiti warfare is prevalent throughout the Valley. He's seen graffiti from crews claiming cities like Pomona up on Hollywood and Lake Mead, near Sunrise Mountain: "You definitely do see traditional gang graffiti from other jurisdictions here. No area is immune."